Close to 25 years in the business, actress Sheeba Chaddha’s filmography contains a body of work that commands credibility and integrity. Although, Sheeba has never minced her words in sharing that her moment of fame has been a hard-earned gratification. As she is all set to play Malini Khanna, the no-nonsense boss to Kajol’s Noyonika Sen Gupta in the upcoming OTT show The Trial: Pyaar, Kaanoon, Dhokha, The Free Press Journal caught up with her for a quick chat.
As Malini Khanna in The Trial: Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhokha
Through the initial rushes of the trailer, Sheeba’s character on the show, comes across as someone who is suspicious of her subordinate’s capabilities and questions her colleague’s preferential treatment towards her. When asked if she has ever had to face unwarranted judgement or prejudice, on sets or in her professional sphere, Sheeba reveals, “Nothing really strong comes to my mind, but as a woman, I’m very aware that it’s an absolute reality that women face disparity and scrutiny, everywhere. They don’t get their comeuppance. I might be fortunate to be in situations or having worked with people so I did not have to face that, but I know fully well that some of us are actually a minority and the majority still faces a lot of it.”
The subject of pay parity rightfully continues to be a course of discussion and debate in the film industry. One wonders, what are Sheeba’s thoughts about it. “You know, I want to use strong words. I don’t know what my male co-actor is getting paid. So, one just hears it. So, if it is true, which I believe is, then that’s something that really, really makes me very, very angry. If I’m getting paid less than my male co-actor while we both bring the same amount of work to the table, then that really does bother me. But, I don’t have any proof to substantiate my view,” she rues.
As an actor who has tasted slow but gradual success, we asked Sheeba how she has managed to hold her ground when life throws lemons against her. “It is an endless trial. Life never stops. Trials are everywhere and with everything that happens around you, from an earthquake to a train accident, I find it very difficult to sit through them and live my life. But, I’m left with little to no choice than to just keep at it. Yes, it really takes a toll on you but somehow or the other, you just have to deal with it,” she concludes.
Directed by Suparn Varma, The Trial: Pyaar, Kaanoon, Dhokha also stars Alyy Khan, Suchitra Pillai, Kubbra Sait and Jisshu Sengupta among others. It is slated to premiere on an OTT platform on July 14.
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